FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Blindfolded, Yukiomaru listened closely to his surroundings for the smallest sounds. Air moved by a breath but the fox sidestepped, spun and kicked out. An invisible force blocked his paw, but Yukiomaru didn't hesitate and struck out again. He could only react to the sounds of his opponent but the Admiral blocked all attacks and continued to his own assault.

One silent strike hit Yukiomaru's flank, which did little damage but the force jolted his chest causing an agonizing stab of pain. Yukiomaru screamed and fell to one knee, clutching his chest tightly. Angry, Yukiomaru positioned back into a fighting stance and immediately began striking out carelessly. His attackers were blocked but he felt that several managed to get through his opponents defenses but not without taking another hit, closer to the center of his chest.

Again pain gripped and crippled him, taking all of his breath away. He fell to his paws and knees, gasping for breath and doing his best to ignore the pain.

"If I may interrupt..."

"You may not!" yelled Yukiomaru, ripping off his blindfold but still clenching his teeth. With a great deal of effort, he stood back up but his paw clenching his chest only tightened around his fur. He looked around the barren room and saw no one or nothing except white walls.

"You've been going at it for hours," Fury continued despite the Admiral's objections. "It would be wise to not push your body beyond its limits so soon after waking up."

"I requested that you do not survey me," Yukiomaru growled, walking to one of the bare white walls. A door opened in it, allowing Yukiomaru to leave the room and enter his own.

"I had to create this program for you so you could train," declared Fury, his voice remaining calm. "Through my observations of the program, I was able to monitor you as well."

Yukiomaru ignored the AI after grumbling a few choice words about him and disrobed. With the pain dulling but still hindered him while the kit stepped into his shower. The hot water helped dull away more of the pain but brought back unpleasant realizations. He looked down at his chest where his wet fur clumped together. Barely visible through the wet fur in the middle of his chest was a raw scar. It was small but whenever his fur was out of position, it was also visible. He reached up and around his should to feel his back, where he found the other scar where the weapon went through him, a centimeter to the left of his spine. Those scars will serve as a reminder of how easily he fell to one assassin on his own command ship for the rest of his life.

Letting his paw fall back into a normal position, he heard the dripping pattern fluctuate from the normal pattern. He slammed his back against the wall and looked around the shower for any hints of movement disturbing the steam. Gripping at the scar again because pain lanced through his chest, Yukiomaru's eyes darted back and forth, searching for a target.

A minute passed before Yukiomaru sighed heavily and concluded that there was nothing there but he couldn't relax. If his fur wasn't wet, it'd be standing on end while his ears listened for any irregularity around him. He allowed his eyes to close while he rinsed through his fur, letting the water help wash away some of the sharp pain.

Nearly an hour of soaking his fur passed before Yukiomaru dried off and put on some clothes. He then walked to the bridge, only disturbed by the presence of some junior officers. He hid the fact that he was still in pain by walking with his paws clenched behind his back.

Arriving on the bridge, Yukiomaru was surprised to see Yelena absent, and he found the wrong person sitting in the commanding chair.

"Jun, what're you doing on my bridge?" the Admiral asked, somewhat confused by the marten's presence. "Where is Yelena?" The door slid shut behind the Admiral, making only a small noise but it prompted Yukiomaru to jump around and watch it shut.

"She's down in the laboratory, talking with my sister about that weird crystal thing," Jun answered, standing from the commanding chair. He obviously noticed Yukiomaru's reaction to the shutting door but ignored it. "They've managed to download some data from it despite only two of the keys being retrieved by the wolf Captain but they're having difficulties translating the code."

"So what're you doing here?" asked Yukiomaru again, sitting in the commanding chair and bringing up a few screens but didn't bring up any specific files.

"I'm offering my advice to the Admiral," Jun answered innocently enough.

"Advice to what?" requested Yukiomaru, somewhat annoyed with the marten's game but he tolerated Jun more than most others.

"About... the 'Klienestov'." The hesitation didn't go unnoticed by the Admiral.

"And what about it?" Yukiomaru continued to play along. The marten was avoiding what he really wanted to talk about.

"I spoke briefly with Velshnark about it and I think he knows that 'Klienestov'. He kept referring to it as an aggressor like he knew it personally."

"His race have been fighting the Creepers for at least a few thousand years. Surely they've come across this type of creature before. Maybe he was surprised to see one so far from where he thought it'd be, or that it destroyed that entire Stealth fleet in a matter of seconds."

"It's been three days since the attack and he's been communicating with his own fleets all this time so I'd suggest it'd be a good idea to talk to him soon."

Yukiomaru stood and paced the bridge a moment before he stopped and looked at the ground. There was no blood on the ground but Yukiomaru stared at the spot where he fell, becoming lost in thought. Nearly ten seconds went by before he snapped his head up and looked at a dark corner of the bridge, near the holographic imager.

"We captured the Stealth," Jun said quietly and in a serious tone. "It's in the brig, it's armor secured and Fury hasn't stopped monitoring it since we captured it."

"I know," snapped Yukiomaru, hastily exiting the bridge. The marten followed but kept his distance. Yukiomaru didn't know where he was going but he was furious. He knew he was jumpy but do they all think it's that bad to talk Jun into talking with him? He felt Jun's paw land on his shoulder, and it took every ounce of self-control not to react aggressively but he did stop walking. Turning to look at the taller marten, his glare was met with a smile.

Yukiomaru relaxed, his tense muscles and glare melted. I'm an Admiral in the UDAS fleet, he thought to himself. I should not be so harsh...a stupid assassin should not be able to incapacitate me either! His mind angered him again but he did his best to push the thought out from his mind.

Slower this time he walked with Jun back to his room. "I know I'm jumpy but I'll get over it," the Admiral said once they were behind his bedroom door. The pain in his chest started to return but he ignored it.

"I know you will," Jun said encouragingly, sitting the Admiral in a comfortable seat. The marten sat across from him in an adjacent seat but didn't say anything else. Ever since Yukiomaru woke up, his mind has been preoccupied with the assassination but Jun's presence helped clear the thoughts out of his head.

"So I've been having trouble following the events that happened after I was attacked," Yukiomaru finally said, regaining his usual attitude. "I'm glad that the wolves succeeded in their mission and they all got out alive. But I don't understand why they were nearly killed by one of Velshnark's ships that were cleansing the area. When I woke up, the planet was swarming with Creepers. Fury, can you instruct Velshnark to come to my office in an hour?"

"Yes sir," Fury answered bluntly.

Jun recapped the events that happened since Yukiomaru's attack but there wasn't much to tell. Yukiomaru seemed to know it all too, and just somehow forgot. Yukiomaru thanked the marten for his company and dismissed him. He then contacted Yelena for an update with the crystal database that he's heard so much about just before he headed off to his office.

Arriving nearly ten minutes early, Yukiomaru brought up his PawPad and linked it to the computer terminal. Searching through his files, he brought up all the camera recordings of the battle he woke up during. The "Klienestov" wasn't in view of any camera until it announced its presence, and controlled all the Creepers in the area to move like a part of its own body. The battle had been recorded for nearly an hour before it appeared, but only about ten minutes after it appeared the battle was over. Fortunately it was the creature's retreat that ended the battle, instead of all their deaths.

Velshnark walked in, he was wearing some customized clothes made for him now. His tall posture reminded the Admiral how intimidating this alien really was.

"Velshnark, thank you for seeing me," Yukiomaru greeted the alien and gestured a paw to an open seat. When the alien sat, the fox turned the computer screen to face Velshnark where he had the video paused on the giant creature. "What can you tell me about this creature?"

"It's a Klienestov," Velshnark answered through the translators. "It's name changes with each language but generally it is a Planet Infector. This one, we've been hunting for over a hundred generations. We haven't seen it in over three generations, after we defeated it in a system far from here."

"There's more of these things then?" Yukiomaru questioned, looking at the parasite.

"Yes," continued Velshnark, his eyes not leaving the parasite on the screen. "I confirmed earlier before I came here that this is the one that we call 'Aggressor'. Most of the Klienestov are content staying nears stars as their source of food, and they expand very slowly; at a rate that we are able to contain but this one loves invading planets and consuming sentient life. The smaller parasites are troublesome enough and can often take a weakly defend system, but wherever Aggressor goes, defenses crumble and systems fall."

Yukiomaru played the video to the point where he fired Drach'n Fury's main weapon at the creature, destroying two of its limbs and burning the first one almost completely.

"It seems to be injured now," stated Yukiomaru, eyes still locked on the alien.

"Yes," Velsh'nark confirmed. "It grew overconfident chasing down the 'Stealth' fleet and the fact that it's never seen your ships before but don't you think that it won't be ready next time one of your fleets stumble across it."

"My reports tell me that this creature hid in a vessel to land on the Stealth planet," Yukiomaru began saying. "You were tracking this vessel but unaware of its contents. How can a mountain-sized creature hide in a ship a tenth of its size?"

"It must have been in its weakened state, or the Klienestov have learned to shed their extra 'skin' to go by unnoticed. I informed my fleet about this and they're looking into it but it's something we haven't come across yet. The Klienestov have never disguised themselves before."

"Where were you tracking it from?"

"Their territory." Velsh'nark's gaze met Yukiomaru's. "It was one of many ships to come out of their territory that snuck by our blockade, and it was my job to survey it. Most of the infected ships are eventually destroyed if they don't land within a certain amount of time, if it's one we caught getting by us but a few do land on populated worlds and that's when my real mission starts."

"Yes, to survey how they infect a populated world," said the Admiral, changing the view screen to the destroyed world of the Stealth's, now heavily infested with Creepers. "This mission probably required a little more attention than what your race gave it."

"We are aware," Velsh'nark spoke bluntly. "Our blockade slowly retreats but now that I've informed the fleets about the Klienestov, Aggressor, our fleets are mobilizing to hunt it down and destroy it. We're pulling our cleansing fleets out of their territory for this mission."

"Full mobilization then?"

"Yes. We will find this Klienestov and incinerate it."

A silence passed between them, and the Admiral took the opportunity to shut off the computer screen. They continued to discuss more about the Creepers before Velsh'nark was dismissed, leaving Yukiomaru alone in his office.

"Admiral," Fury finally said. "We have been retreating for three days but we still don't have a designated location."

"Not now Fury," Yukiomaru said, standing from his seat and walking out. From his room he grabbed his primary weapon, an energy spear. With it in his paw he left the room and wandered through the corridors. The few crewmembers looked at him strangely but they didn't hesitate to clear his path. Within a few minutes, he stopped in front of the barrier containing the Stealth that attempted to assassinate him almost a week ago.

The pale and lanky creature looked up at Yukiomaru, standing to its legs and it was hardly taller than the young kit. It obviously noticed the weapon held loosely in Yukiomaru's paw but it didn't show any classic signs of fear. Neither of them said a word.

The fox held up his PawPad and played the video of the Klienestov destroying the Stealth fleet but he let it play to where they crippled the creature.

"We managed to save a few and they're on our other ship right now," Yukiomaru finally said. "It would seem that your 'warning' is naïve if you think either of us can waste resources fighting each other and not this parasite."

"So many lives were lost, and this thing still survived," remarked the Stealth after his confident postured slouched. "How many survived?"

"Seventeen," Yukiomaru stated. "Besides you, assassin. According to you, we're at war. Fury, lower the barrier."

"Yes, Admiral." The reluctance on his electronic voice was easy to detect.

Yukiomaru raised the spear to the throat of the lanky creature. "How many more planets do you have?"

"Three fully populated planet," answered the Stealth, regaining his posture at the spear's point. "After this, our fleets will be defending these planets will all of our forces."

With his spear point at the throat of his assassin, Yukiomaru desired to plunge it forward but had too many responsibilities to do such a rash action. He lowered the spear.

"Any technology that poses a threat to the well being of any of my soldiers is hereby confiscated," Yukiomaru said, stepping back from the Stealth. "I will arrange for you to rejoin the survivors of your planet where you'll all be held with our hospitality until we can return you to your people. If you'd please follow me, I'll take you to our hangar."

The Stealth was confused by the fox's actions. He had expected that the young fox would kill him the moment he got the chance but the fox was letting him go.

With great discomfort, Yukiomaru turned his back to the Stealth and led it out of the brig. Fury relayed the orders without being asked and when Yukiomaru arrived at the hangar with the Stealth in tow, a transit vessel was prepped and ready to go.

The Admiral watched the ship take off and leave Drach'n Fury's hangar, and he was reminded that sometimes he hated being diplomatic.

With closed fists, he turned back and went to his room. Did I just open myself up for another attack? What happens if I really do return them to their people? Questions plagued Yukiomaru until he found himself asking what if he was targeted again, frustrating him further.

With a growl he punched the wall. He took off his uniform, wearing only his undergarments and began training again. If he was targeted again, he wanted to be ready. Hours passed before Yelena interrupted Yukiomaru this time. Panting, the fox glared at her, upset that she entered his room without permission.

"What do you want Yelena?" he demanded, standing straight up. The pain in his chest pulsed but it wasn't anything he couldn't tolerate.

"Fury found a small Creeper vessel in a nearby system," she answered, staying formal. "I'd recommend we take the opportunity to destroy it."

"Is it a threat to us, or anyone else?" Yukiomaru questioned, his fist still closed.

"Not presently," she answered. "We currently have no objective or designation. Destroying it will only take an hour."

Yukiomaru walked pass Yelena and pulled his PawPad from his uniform pocket. He started looking through it. "How long have we been on this mission, Yelena?"

"Ten months, seventeen days," she answered, remaining formal while she followed the much smaller fox.

"Drach'n Fang will be completed in a month, and Frawstsky is five weeks after that," he remarked, still focusing on the device in his paw. "Send a squadron after the parasite. Fury, set a course for home. We're going to regroup and rearm."

"Right away Admiral," Fury responded.

He set the device down and went to his bed, sitting on the edge of it. "The Creepers are further out than what Velshnark's race originally thought. His fleets are mobilizing to combat this 'Klienestov' but he didn't sound too confident in the hope of destroying it."

"You intend to join them in their attempt then?"

"Yes. It's a fight for survival and I will see to it that this thing is killed."